Does a diamond's size determine its value?

Thinking of buying an engagement ring with a big centre stone but on a tight budget? Nowadays, bigger means better– and pricier, right?

That's not entirely true.

A diamond's value is based on its rarity. No matter how big a diamond is, there's a huge chance it might cost less than you expect it to be.

Jewellery appraisers measure a diamond's value by using the four C's, namely, its cut, colour, clarity and carat. This was created by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), which later became the universal method for examining the value of diamonds.

Read on to learn more about the four Cs in measuring a diamond's value.

Cut

Diamonds are known to be cut in different fancy shapes that'll compliment the wearer of the jewellery expressively. The things is, the shape of the diamond is not the sole determiner of its cut grade, but also its successful and unique interaction with light.

An excellent cut diamond has an even pattern of both light and dark areas. On the other hand, a poorly cut diamond has only a few areas that refract light making it have a lesser amount of sparkle

Colour

The value of diamonds is also based on their colour. In determining the colour grade, appraisers use a scale that extends from D (colourless) to Z (yellow). Colourless diamonds are very rare which makes them much more valuable. Gemmologists measure colour in an environment with controlled lighting to precisely determine its natural hue.

Clarity

Since diamonds are formed through a natural process, they'll always have certain internal marks called 'inclusion.' Appraisers identify these marks with the use of a 10x magnification loupe.

These 'inclusion' serve as the diamond's unique fingerprint. This allows appraisers to differentiate natural diamonds from synthetic ones. Such inclusions can be small crystals, breaks and other characteristics that can be found inside a diamond. The fewer the inclusions are, the higher the value is.

Carat weight

Carat weight is the apparent size of a diamond. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams. People often think that it's the only determiner of a diamond's value, it's not.

With the utilisation of the four Cs, a slight difference in grading would have a significant effect on a diamond's value. For instance, a poorly cut 1-carat diamond is cheaper than a good cut gemstone of the same weight.

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In conclusion, a diamond's size isn't the only factor that determines its value. It would still depend on how it's graded based on the four Cs,

So, the next time jewellers in Miranda show you an engagement ring with a sizeable centre stone, don't be overwhelmed– you might be surprised on how much its worth is!